Should I deadhead crape myrtle?

Many varieties of crape myrtles can be encouraged to bloom a second time, but timing is important. Deadheading crape myrtles (removing dead or dying flowers) encourages new sprouts and blooms, but if you deadhead too late in the season, the tender new growth that is produced can be damaged by cold weather.

Do you cut old blooms off crepe myrtle?

ANSWER: Cutting the clusters of faded flowers or seed pods off is optional. Most gardeners consider deadheading crape myrtle trees more trouble than it's worth, but it's certainly something you may do. Sometimes it's recommended to ensure another flush of late-summer blooms.

How do you keep a crepe myrtle blooming?

Crape myrtles require eight hours of direct sun daily to bloom well. Crape myrtles planted in areas that receive less than six hours of direct sun do not get enough sunlight for adequate bloom development. – Variety. Some varieties don't flower as vigorously as others.

When should crepe myrtles be pruned back?

As they grow taller, gradually remove all side branches up to a height of four to five feet. This exposes the smooth, handsome bark. Early each spring, remove weak, spindly growth and all the branches that are growing in toward the center of the plant. Prune large branches back to a crotch.

What happens if you don't prune crepe myrtles?

Leaving it alone will result in a pretty raggedy-looking tree, and it won't grow as quickly either. The new growth will emerge on its own from the fresh cuts, and if you trim at just the right point, you'll encourage way more blooms to appear.

How to Deadhead Crape Myrtles

How far do you cut back crepe myrtles?

Cut all the way back. I like branching to begin 6 to 8 feet off the ground because it looks better and is more practical. If you don't need to walk under the branches or see through them to view oncoming traffic, you can allow the branching to start lower. Prune unwanted low branches all the way back to the main trunk.

How do I prune a crape myrtle?

Cut off suckers from the bottom, rubbing and cross growing branches and branches growing inward. Gradually cut off all side branches from the main base as the tree gets taller. Never leave lone or clustered stubs. Be sure to remove unwanted branches before they get too thick (thickness of a pencil).

Why are my crepe myrtles not blooming?

Fertilizer. If that crape myrtle is getting plenty of sunshine and still not blooming, it could be a lack of phosphorus. Checking the soil around the tree may prove this out. OR too much nitrogen may be the problem; both of these situations cause no blooms.

Can you cut crepe myrtles back in the summer?

Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees, unless you wait until after they bloom. Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) signal the beginning of summer with a profusion of colorful flower clusters.

Will a crepe myrtle bloom twice a year?

You Really Can Have Two Bloom Cycles on Crepe Myrtles. Some years, the first bloom cycle of crepe myrtles lasts a month or more.

Should I cut the seed pods off crepe myrtle?

The balls at the end of crape myrtle branches are seed pods that formed from the flowers last summer. They do not hurt the tree and will not affect flowering this summer. A: The short answer is no. You do not need to cut off the balls at the end of the branches.

What month do crepe myrtles bloom?

Blooms then follow around the end of May or early June. Expect leaves about a month after the last frost as a rule of thumb. Furthermore, allow about two months after this for flowers to develop. For example, in zone 8, the latest frost date is March 28th.

What is the best fertilizer for crape myrtle?

Use 8-8-8, 10-10-10, 12-4-8, or 16-4-8 fertilizer. A granular product works well for crepe myrtle. Take care not to overfertilize. Too much food for crepe myrtles makes them grow more foliage and fewer flowers.

Why is the bark peeling off my crepe myrtle?

Crepe Myrtle Bark Shedding – A Perfectly Normal Process

It occurs after the tree has reached full maturity, which may be a several years after you plant it. Crepe myrtle bark shedding is a normal process to these trees. They are often prized because of the coloration that shows up on their wood once the bark is shed.

How old does a crepe myrtle have to be to bloom?

They are trained to grow as trees and can reach heights of over 40 feet, although most average between 20 and 30 feet. It takes these trees between 10 and 20 years or longer to grow to maturity. 'Natchez' is a cultivar of ​Lagerstroemia ​fauriei that grows to 20 feet and features white flowers and heavily peeling bark.

How tall should a crepe myrtle be?

The common crapemyrtle grows to a height of 15–25' and a spread of 6–15' at maturity.

What is the black stuff on my Crepe Myrtles?

Black sooty mold is actually an airborne fungi spore that latches on to the sweet sticky honeydew secreted by leaf and bark feeding insects. On Crepe Myrtles and most other plants the culprit here is either sap sucking Aphids or Bark sucking Scale.

Do Crepe Myrtles reseed?

Rather, the tree reproduces so readily from its seeds that, once the seeds escape cultivation, the resulting trees can crowd out native plants in the wild. Since most of the popular crepe myrtle cultivars are hybrid and do not produce seeds, reproduction by seeds in the wild is not a problem.

How do you prune crepe myrtle seed pods?

To take the heavy burden off the arching stems, clip the seedpods any time after November, making way for the buds that will break in early April. Clipping the pods earlier is likely to bring on a new late-summer bloom and more seed pods. Always use sharp clippers for pruning, If your trees are tall, use pole pruners.

Does crepe myrtle bloom all summer?

These plants bloom in summer, and blooms usually last for a while. Crape myrtle flowers come in a wide range of hues, from white through the entire pink spectrum to light and dark red as well as shades of lavender. Generally, these plants prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soils in full sun or partial shade.

Can you cut crepe myrtles below the knot?

Cutting crepe myrtle knots doesn't resolve the problem. If you cut below the knot, a new knot forms in its place. The tree never reverts to its naturally beautiful shape, but through proper pruning of a crepe myrtle tree, you may be able to make the knots less noticeable.

Can you trim crepe myrtles with a chainsaw?

You must understand a Crepe Myrtle is a tree, not a shrub. Therefore, do not take a chainsaw and cut all limbs off shoulder high. This is not the correct way to prune a Crepe Myrtle. Treat the plant as a tree.